Bolt and WANATU beat South Africa’s licence deadline. Their drivers may not.

Bolt and WANATU have secured their e-hailing operator licences ahead of South Africa’s March 11 deadline, clearing a key hurdle in the country’s first serious attempt to regulate its e-hailing industry.

In a statement shared with TechCabal, Bolt said it received its Certificate of Registration from the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) on February 27.

“Receiving the Certificate of Registration from the NPTR is an important milestone not only for Bolt, but for the broader e-hailing industry, as it strengthens trust and enhances safety for both driver operators and passengers,” said Fikile Nzuza-Chunga, senior public policy manager for Bolt South Africa.

WANATU also confirmed its licence in a statement, saying it “successfully completed the full NPTR registration process under the new regulations.”

South Africa’s amended National Land Transport Act took effect on September 12, 2025, giving the industry 180 days to comply. But the thousands of drivers who work under ride-hailing platforms cannot apply for their own permits until the platforms are first licenced, and with one week left, most have not started.

“The Western Cape government told us they would wait for the apps to register before issuing driver permits,” Siyabonga Hlabisa, chairperson of the Western Cape E-hailing Association (WCEA), said. “That timeline cannot be used as a hard deadline.”

Fear on the streets

The delay creates a safety risk for drivers operating in South Africa’s e-hailing sector, which has a long, violent history of conflict with the R90-billion (over $5 billion)taxi industry. Traditional taxi operators often view e-hailing as illegal, leading to intimidation and driver harm.

“The rollout seems to be snail-paced., I am panicking,” said Dalitso, a Johannesburg Uber driver. “If the deadline passes and I don’t have a permit, we might face wars with the taxis.”

Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi admitted the registration process is slower than expected. He expects to announce the full list of licenced companies by the end of March.

However, the announcement of licenced platforms will likely overlap with the March 11 deadline, leaving drivers no time to finish their own applications.

“Many of us still have not received the metered-taxi permits. I am not really sure how these new permits will work out, with the previous backlog and given the non-compliance fine,” said Prince, a Bolt driver in Pretoria.

Non-compliance could lead to penalties of up to R100 000 ($5,700).

The Department of Transport did not respond to a request for comment.

While Bolt and WANATU have secured their licences, Uber, with over 40,000 driver-partners, confirmed it has applied for its licence but has yet to receive approval.

“We have submitted our application for registration as an e-hailing platform provider and are engaging constructively with the relevant authorities to ensure compliance,” Uber told TechCabal. 

Without an official extension or a faster provincial rollout for driver permits, the transition window intended to bring order may instead trigger a fresh wave of conflict and economic instability. But for now, when drivers get their permits, the Department of Transport sticks to its strict timeline or adjusts to the reality on the ground.